1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to router operation and safety, and more particularly, in utilizing a transparent shield to hold and position a workpiece against a router blade while preventing inadvertent contact of fingers or hands with the router blade.
2. Description of the Related Technology
An inverted router blade and table are used to transfer shapes from a template object to a workpiece object. The router blade, typically, has a roller guide which follows the contoured surface of the template and a cutting portion of the router blade removes excess material from the workpiece, wherein the workpiece is formed into the same shapes as the template. The inverted router blade, typically, protrudes vertically from a hole in the table which is horizontal. The workpiece is fixedly attached to the template wherein the workpiece is proximate to the horizontal face of the table and the template is above the workpiece and table face. The router blade is adjusted so that the roller guide is on the same horizontal plane as the template and the cutting portion of the router blade is on the same horizontal plane as the workpiece. The template and workpiece are placed proximate to the roller guide and cutting portion, respectively, and the cutting portion cuts material away from the workpiece in accordance with the position of the roller guide proximate to the template. In this way, very fine and precise patterns may be fabricated in the workpiece.
The router blade spins at a very high speed and is exceedingly sharp. In order to make the fine precision cuts the router blade is capable of doing, the workpiece and template must be handled by an operator within dangerously close distances from the router blade. The least miscalculation in the pressure applied to the workpiece against the router blade may cause the workpiece to kick away from the router blade and may even cause the operator's fingers and/or hand to come into contact with the spinning router blade. Severe lacerations or even amputation of a finger tip may result.
Another problem, besides the danger of physical injury to the operator, is handling and positioning the workpiece and template when the workpiece is small and/or the shapes are complex or intricate. Proper positioning must be maintained at all times or else the workpiece may be ruined. The operator, who may be worrying more about bodily harm than proper positioning of the workpiece, may not be able to concentrate upon the best position for the workpiece in relation to the spinning router blade. Also, intricate patterns cut into the workpiece may cause it to become fragile and easily broken by misapplication of pressure against the router blade.
What is needed is a system, method and apparatus that prevents bodily injury to a router operator, safely holds and allows proper positioning of the workpiece against the router blade by having a clear view thereof, and prevents damage to a fragile workpiece during cutting of the workpiece by the spinning router blade.